Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist
Rhiarna is an APA Titled Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist who completed her Bachelor’s degree (with honours) at The University of Melbourne in 2006, and subsequently completed her post-graduate Masters of Sports Physiotherapy at La Trobe University in 2016.
Since then, she has spent the majority of her career focussing on the lower limb conditions- and in particular, knee injuries. She consults with Mr. Nigel Hartnett, reviewing patients following knee surgery and advising them on rehabilitation, along with conducting strength and return to sports testing. She also works with many of his patients who do not require surgery, guiding their non-surgical injury management and rehabilitation.
Clinically, she otherwise divides her time between private practice sports medicine clinics in Prahran and Bundoora. Rhiarna values ongoing learning, and loves being able to pass this knowledge onto her patients to help them understand their individual knee conditions and how to best get themselves back to their desired level of sport, work and general activity.
As a self-confessed knee nerd, she enjoys being part of the research partnership between Dr Nigel Hartnett and Swinburne University looking into best practice rehabilitation and return to sport decision making following ACL injury.
Over the years she has worked with many sporting teams at national and international level in Football (soccer) and Ultimate Frisbee. She currently works with Wheelchair Basketball and Para-Badminton Australia, and Gymnastics Australia.
